My dad had an issue with the car today. The car had been covered in snow, and we got in after it had been left uncovered yesterday. Today, he says he put it in reverse straight after starting the car, and when he gently pressed the gas, it went backwards really fast. The brakes felt stiff and wouldn’t work, and he bumped into his truck behind us. Both cars are dented but fine. I’m wondering though, why are the lights acting strange even before he hit the truck? The lights are still doing it when the car is in drive. I’ve never seen this happen before. I drove it after, and everything seemed fine except my headlights didn’t turn on right away after starting the car.
It seems like the lights are not actually malfunctioning. What you’re seeing is likely an effect from the LED flicker and the shutter of the security camera.
Lisa said:
It seems like the lights are not actually malfunctioning. What you’re seeing is likely an effect from the LED flicker and the shutter of the security camera.
That could be the case, looking back at older footage. Still, the way it looks in the video I posted seems more dramatic than usual, just feels weird.
The LED lights look odd because of the low frame rate on the camera, even on phone cameras. About the brakes, liquids get thicker in the cold, so you need to let the engine warm up for things to work smoothly. Maybe the car sat for too long without being used.
@Flippa
Thanks! That makes sense. We’ve been snowed in since Friday, so the car wasn’t on for almost a week. It’s snowing again right now, so I’ll let the car warm up before using it next time.
It looks like the rear brakes locked up. Who uses the gas pedal to move backwards? The car should roll on its own without any gas. It probably slid on ice after the rear brakes locked.
renatahilda said:
It looks like the rear brakes locked up. Who uses the gas pedal to move backwards? The car should roll on its own without any gas. It probably slid on ice after the rear brakes locked.
We have snow and ice in the driveway, so the car wouldn’t move without a little gas.
@Nathan
That explains it. The rear brakes locked up on the ice, and when you pressed the gas, the car slid into the truck. It’s an accident, but it seems more like a user mistake than a vehicle problem.
@renatahilda
It was my dad, not me, but he said he just tapped the gas lightly, and once the car started going too fast, he couldn’t stop it in time. We’re more concerned about the lights though. Any idea what’s going on with them?
@Nathan
The lights look that way because of the low fps of cameras. The crash likely caused some temporary issues with the car, but if the lights went back to normal after a while, there’s nothing to worry about.
@renatahilda
Thanks, that makes sense.
Nathan said:
@renatahilda
Thanks, that makes sense.
It might be worth calling a local service center. They should be able to help with the issue about the lights.
Nathan said:
@renatahilda
Thanks, that makes sense.
It might be worth calling a local service center. They should be able to help with the issue about the lights.
We’re planning to call tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.
Why was he trying to back up with the truck in the way? It seems like the rear brakes locked on one side to help with traction. The front wheels were still rolling, so it didn’t seem like the brakes were applied. Even if the rear brakes fail, the front brakes should still work. Was he able to stop the car just fine after moving forward?
@StingerKing
He was just trying to back up a couple of feet to snow blow. The brake was completely stiff, and he couldn’t apply it at all. After that, the brakes seemed fine, but the headlights are still acting up.
@Nathan
Maybe he turned the headlights off at the stalk when he got out of the car. Did the headlights come on when you checked later?
StingerKing said:
@Nathan
Maybe he turned the headlights off at the stalk when he got out of the car. Did the headlights come on when you checked later?
The problem came a few hours later when I was driving in the dark. The lights were set to auto, but they wouldn’t turn on, even though the light icon was showing on the dash. I switched them to manual, but they still wouldn’t turn on. They finally came on when I pulled into a parking lot.
Do you use the automatic hold feature? It’s nice at stoplights but can make the car hesitate when you press the gas. Ours is an AWD model, and it’s useful in snow and ice. It helps with slippage, especially on car ramps. The lights seem odd, almost like a ‘greeting’ display some cars have. Did they return to normal after a while?
@BRANDON
Yes, we use that feature, and I’ve had issues with it too. I’m not sure if it was in AWD mode at the time, but I’ll make sure it is next time for the snow. I’m finding some older footage where the lights look similar, but not as dramatic as today. The headlights were on auto, but they wouldn’t turn on, even though the dash said they were. After a while, they finally came on. I’m not sure if it was the car acting up before the crash or if the crash caused the issue.
The Sportage is strange sometimes. I had mine in park while entering a code and had my foot on the brake, but the engine kept revving, and I thought it was going to shoot forward if I let go. Thankfully, it didn’t. Glad you’re safe.